Tag Archives: festival events

The 2018 Spirit & Place Festival will be held from Nov. 2-11. The festival this year will explore the theme of “intersections.” Intersecting lines can be found anywhere from the cross and cloverleaf, to crossroads and connections. They represent collective creativity and deeper understanding, as well as points of division or conflict.

There will be 32 unique events this year that will take place across 27 venues and feature a variety of presenters, speakers and performers. This year’s festival allows attendees to create connections with their Central Indiana community by bringing people together. These events challenge everyone to ask important questions, such as— What critical crossroads are facing small and large communities in Central Indiana? What new and surprising intersections are needed to build vibrant communities? How might the arts, humanities and religion lift up or challenge these connections? These events that provide community-connections will begin with the Opening Night “intersections” themed event on Nov. 2 from 6-9 p.m.

Visit the website at www.spiritandplace.org for the full festival lineup, including these events on community-connection below:

Kick off this year’s Spirit & Place Festival during an INTERSECTION themed night at the Harrison Center. The Harrison Center serves as a home for artists of all races, ages, social groups, neighborhoods, faiths and more to intersect with one another – and you! Bring the family out for a fun night of discovery to meet with artists. Explore how styles, mediums, colors and shapes collide and blend to create Indy’s vibrant arts community.

This event is a way to help a community gather and create a visual representation of a “desire path” between the pretzel shop and the library—a literal intersection between the buildings that is missing! Visioning sessions hosted at the library over the summer inspired the mural design and you get to help make it a reality. This pavement mural will not only help reclaim the street, but will encourage drivers to slow down while approaching the intersection.

Join in on a community conversation where we will engage the collective wisdom of urban design experts, artists and attendees to envision equitable housing and community development strategies. In the first hour, experts and artists will generate conversations focused on alternative models of housing and equitable community development drawn from a variety of historical and current municipal experiments. In the second hour, we will break into smaller groups to discuss and build on what we have learned in order to envision new paths forward for community development.

Hummus & Happiness is an event that encourages our audience to consider how film and food can create spaces for the exploration of complex issues and diverse viewpoints.Guests are invited to a hummus-tasting competition, where you can sample (and then vote on) hummus recipes from around the world, prepared by local hummus-makers, who will share their narrative and the story of their recipe. The winner will be announced after the film screening of “Life and Hummus,” followed by a short panel discussion and audience Q&A.

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Tuesday, November 6, 7—9 p.m.Crossroads of America: Living Up to Our State MottoPresented by Dr. Richard Gunderman, Marian University Peace & Justice Studies Program and Marian University History and Social Science DepartmentMarian University—Allison Mansion—3200 Cold Spring Rd.

Scrutinize the many ways in which Indiana represents a crossroad: historically, economically, logistically as well as philosophically, religiously and culturally. Dr. Gunderman will challenge participants to think about what it means to be the “Crossroads of America” and how that designation can confer many benefits on Hoosiers . . . if we’re willing to seize on the right opportunities.

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Wednesday, November 7, 6:30—8:30 p.m.Bridging the Divide: Finding Common GroundPresented by IUPUI Senior Academy, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Butler College of Education, St. Vincent Art Therapy Studio, Center for Interfaith Cooperation and North United Methodist ChurchNorth United Methodist Church—3808 N. Meridian St.

What barriers do you need to break down in your life? What stops you from reaching out to engage in conversations with someone who is different than you? Divisions are fed by lack of opportunities to intersect across lines of race, religion, ethnicity and political affiliations. This event examines barriers to connecting with others and will provide techniques for engaging in meaningful conversations. Small group art projects led by Joani Rothenberg will also provide an opportunity to discuss experiences, frustrations with past interactions and hopes for more civil intersections.

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Wednesday, November 7, 3—5 p.m. At the Intersection of Identity & WalkabilityPresented by Health by Design, Marion County Health Department, Keystone Millersville Neighborhood Association, AccessABILITY and Indiana School for the Blind and Visually ImpairedMarion County Public Health Department Community Building—4012 Meadows Drive

“Walkability” has to do with what makes a community an inviting place to walk. Think: sidewalks, tree-lined streets and benches.Through facilitated dialogue and walking side-by-side with others, participants will explore how identity—being a parent with young kids, a person with a disability, or someone who works 3rd shift—intersects with ideas, preferences and needs around “walkability.”

Black Panther. Parliament-Funkadelic. Octavia E. Butler. Janelle Monae. Afrofuturism is the reimagining of a future filled with arts, science and technology seen through a black lens. It’s a literary and creative genre that allows us to discuss matters of race, gender and social justice as well as model possibilities for the future. Hear from Tobias Buckell, author of Crystal Rain, Arctic Rising, and Halo: The Cole Protocol, and join in a community conversation where we use art, science and faith to imagine a future together.

The Indianapolis artistic community is a diverse group of people from all walks of life and backgrounds. Featuring many local artists, attendees will reflect on the convergence of artistry, culture and tradition through poetic prose, rhythmic dance and visual storytelling. Spoken word, visual art, dance and music will intersect during this event to showcase stories of historically silenced communities and the power of unity. It will also include a hands-on learning portion and time to interact with the performers.

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Saturday, November 10, 8:30am—2 p.m.Spirited ChasePresented by WFYI and its community partnersWFYI & Mystery Locations—1630 N. Meridian St.
Cost: $9

Spirited Chase is a unique event offering participants the opportunity to renew their spirit through discovering new people and places in our community. Throughout the day, participants will visit five mystery Indianapolis destinations, located at different physical intersections around the city. At each mystery destination, participants will engage in a brief presentation or conversation as they learn about the many ways people, places and programs intersect to create and support our community.

The 2018 Spirit & Place Festival will be held from Nov. 2-11. The festival this year will explore the theme of “intersections.” Intersecting lines can be found anywhere from the cross and cloverleaf, to crossroads and connections. They represent collective creativity and deeper understanding, as well as points of division or conflict.

There will be 32 unique events this year that will take place across 27 venues and feature a variety of presenters, speakers and performers. The festival this year has events with powerful storytelling aspects. These events are interactive and allow attendees to share their story with the community.

Sunday, November 4, 1:30—3 p.m.Two Truths & a Lie: The Intersection of Fact and FictionPresented by Indiana Historical Society; American Indian Center of Indiana, Inc.; and Kennedy King Memorial CenterIndiana History Center—450 W. Ohio St.

It is tempting to think history is nothing but names, dates, and deceased subjects. Not true! In reality, history is a dynamic subject constantly evolving as historians find new sources. But how do we discern what is true when sources sometimes deliberately lie to us? When do we slip from fact to fiction? Through the guise of a lighthearted game, this event will challenge participants to examine the intersection of fact and fiction through rounds of storytelling and source interpretation that the audience gets to vote on.

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Sunday, November 4, 4—5:30 p.m. A Dance of Wisdom Tales and TunesPresented by Storytelling Arts of Indiana, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Spiritual CenterSt. Luke’s United Methodist Church—100 W. 86th St.
Cost: $10

A blend of metaphors and “wisdom tales,” like the tale of Naked Truth and Parable, will be discussed while incorporating music. These tales will encourage attendees to reflect on their own personal histories and faith as a way to clarify their thoughts and beliefs.

Hummus & Happiness is an event that encourages our audience to consider how film and food can create spaces for the exploration of complex issues and diverse viewpoints.Guests are invited to a hummus-tasting competition, where you can sample (and then vote on) hummus recipes from around the world, prepared by local hummus-makers, who will share their narrative and the story of their recipe. The winner will be announced after the film screening of “Life and Hummus,” followed by a short panel discussion and audience Q&A.

This interactive and on-the-move storytelling event features transit riders on the busses they use. Participants will meet at one of three different locations depending on the day. Each workshop focuses on a different rapid transit corridor that will be in operation by 2022. Attendees will then hop on a bus to hear from transit users and others before settling in for a storytelling workshop at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center. At the Transit Center, participants will craft their own community-focused tales. Bus fare is included with registration.

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Thursday, November 8, 6:30—8:30 p.m.Jewish and . . .
Presented by Jewish Community Relations Council, Storytelling Arts of Indiana, IndyFringe and Indianapolis Public LibraryCentral Library—Clowes Auditorium—40 E. St. Clair St.

Jewish and . . . features several short talks by members of the Jewish community whose identities intersect with other groups. The sharing of personal narratives is a powerful way of presenting the vast, and often unrecognized, diversity within the Jewish community. Hear about the experiences of these community neighbors, ask questions and help build bridges of understanding.

The Indianapolis artistic community is a diverse group of people from all walks of life and backgrounds. Featuring many local artists, attendees will reflect on the convergence of artistry, culture and tradition through poetic prose, rhythmic dance and visual storytelling. Spoken word, visual art, dance and music will intersect during this event to showcase stories of historically silenced communities and the power of unity. It will also include a hands-on learning portion and time to interact with the performers.

The 2018 Spirit & Place Festival will be held from Nov. 2-11. The festival this year will explore the theme of “intersections.” Intersecting lines can be found anywhere from the cross and cloverleaf, to crossroads and connections. They represent collective creativity and deeper understanding, as well as points of division or conflict.

There will be 32 unique events this year that will take place across 27 venues and feature a variety of presenters, speakers and performers. This year’s festival will feature several events with music or theater performances. Music and theater are forms of expression that can inspire conversation and create a community identity. Spirit & Place will host events with performance aspects from Nov. 4-11.

Visit the website at www.spiritandplace.org for the full festival lineup, including these music and theater events below:

EVENT INFO:

Sunday, November 4, 5—7 p.m.Pain & Purpose: The Intersection of Parenting and AddictionPresented by Fairbanks, Indiana Addictions Issues Coalition, IU School of Health and Human Services and 24 GroupIUPUI Hine Hall Auditorium—875 W. North St.

Debuting in the Spirit & Place Festival, Pain & Purpose by Lauren Briggeman of Summit Performance Indianapolis explores the grief, heartache and pain of watching loved ones trapped in addiction. It also gives hope by revealing the joy, serenity and spiritual connections made in recovery. Audience Q&A to follow performance.___________________________________________________

Sunday, November 4, 4—5:30 p.m.A Dance of Wisdom Tales and TunesPresented by Storytelling Arts of Indiana, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Spiritual CenterSt. Luke’s United Methodist Church—100 W. 86th St.
Cost: $10

A blend of metaphors and “wisdom tales,” like the tale of Naked Truth and Parable, will be discussed while incorporating music. These tales will encourage attendees to reflect on their own personal histories and faith as a way to clarify their thoughts and beliefs.

The Score Awakens showcases the intersection between music and story by exploring the role John William’s score has in creating the iconic Star Wars universe. Indy Lightsaber Academy will demo how the music inspires epic battles, and everyone will get to learn some sci-fi swordplay.

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Friday, November 9, 1—3 p.m.Listening for How We HearPresented by Hear Me Project and Pin BureauPin Bureau—Community Room—325 S. College Ave.

Music speaks to us all, but in different ways. We seem to just naturally know and accept this. How can we apply this attitude and skill when listening to each other? This event offers a brave space for civic dialogue through the power of asking questions. Participants will experience listening to the same piece of music together – it could be anything from Kendrick Lamar to Bach – and then ask each other how and why the music affected them.

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Sunday, November 11, 1—3 p.m.Where Time Ends and Eternity BeginsPresented by Colette Abel, Butler University Jordan College of the Arts, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Meridian Music Company and Encore Orchestral StringsButler University—Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall—4600 Sunset Ave.

The crowning piece of the program, Oliver Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, was written and premiered while Messiaen was imprisoned in a concentration camp, Stalag VIII, and was inspired by the Book of Revelations. Framing this composition are works by Heinrich Biber (Crucifixion Sonata), Cecil Burleigh (Ascension Sonata) and James MacMillan (Kiss on Wood), all treating the crucifixion theme.